Welcome STRANGER

“Be not forgetful (or remember) to entertain (welcome, host, befriend, show hospitality to) strangers (foreigners, transients, unknowns, enemies, oddities, eccentrics, weirdos, freaks, queers, rejects, repulsives, squares, uncools, anomalies, abnormals, bizzares, the mysterious, differents, unpopulars, unusuals): for thereby (in doing so) some (not many, the minority, the few) have (will) entertained angels (servants and messengers of God, the Divine) unawares (without knowing it at the time).” – Hebrews 13:2 (King James Version with my own amplifications inserted)

[Youtube]6lyZd0JZCK0[/Youtube] 

This verse is just as much a commandment as the original 10 Commandments found in the Old Testament. And, like the original 10 Commandments, it is rarely obeyed.

Any time we fail to do something God has clearly told us to do, we are the ones who are the worse for it. In this case, the sin of failing to welcome strangers results in hatred, divisions, misunderstandings, violence, propaganda, stereotyping, polarization, feuds, quarrels, arguments, strife, debates, deceptions, discord, wars, crimes and even death. What a waste!

Why not welcome strangers? Haven’t most (if not all) of us at one time or another been strangers to each other? Sure, we have.

Let’s allow ourselves a moment or two to remember how it felt to be a stranger in an unfamiliar (maybe even hostile) setting. Yuck! Ouch! Ick! This is pretty painful stuff! Not very pleasant to remember at all, right?

Now take a few moments to remember the times when someone welcomed you as the stranger into their lives as a friend. Hmmmmmm . . . now this is nice. . .I mean really, REALLY NIIICCCCEEEE!!!

My point exactly. NO ONE enjoys being a stranger. We ALL long to be known and accepted for who and what we are by those around us. As the theme song from the popular TV show “Cheers” says, “Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name and they’re always glad you came.”

The catch is the only way that we can cease from being a stranger ourselves is by reaching out to welcome strangers to us.

So, welcome ALL strangers. As we do so, we are guaranteed a few things: (1)every now and then we will meet someone who a God-send and who will radically change our lives for the best; and (2) we will discover the truth that no one is really “strange” at all. (3) We’re ALL meant to be here. We ALL belong together. (4) That this is what God the Divine One intended.

What a STRANGE (wonderful, splendid, marvelous, unique, fantastic, stupendous, glorious, excellent, amazing, holy, ingenious, extraordinary, fascinating, magnificent, great) plan, present and future!!